by Lucy Clark
‘Are you saying that I look like a hag?’
‘Hardly.’ He kissed her hand again. ‘Good night. I’ll see you tomorrow.’ He took a few steps away but Rayne wasn’t ready to let him go just yet. She held on to his hand and he looked at her with puzzlement for a second before peering more closely into her eyes. ‘Rayne?’
‘Henry.’ She urged him even closer then dropped his hand and placed both of her hands at his waist. Still he didn’t move, waiting for her, and she appreciated his self-control. ‘Henry?’
‘Yes?’
‘Kiss me.’ She looked into his eyes and realised she’d been waiting for ever for this moment. ‘Please, kiss me.’
CHAPTER NINE
HENRY paused, his heart stopping for a second as he looked at Rayne to make sure this was what she really wanted. When he saw the truth of her words, the truth of her need for him to do exactly as she’d asked, he drew her closer.
She came willingly, filled with anticipatory excitement. She wasn’t quite sure what to do or think so instead she decided to feel and, boy, oh, boy, did Henry feel good. Her eyelids fluttered closed and she sighed as the pressure that had been building since the first time she’d laid eyes on him, since the first time his deep and sexy voice had washed over her, since the first time he’d touched her, was released.
She’d wanted Henry to kiss her for so long—really kiss her. Even before he’d teased his lips across hers, giving her the smallest inkling of what it would be like, she’d wanted it. She’d dreamt about it, about him, night after night. Now, with his mouth firmly on hers, their breath mingling together, their bodies close with mounting heat and passion, Rayne couldn’t believe how perfect everything was.
More than happy to let Henry lead, Rayne went willingly. It appeared that he certainly had more control over his faculties than she did as he took his time in exploring this exquisiteness that existed between them. Slowly, he parted her lips. Slowly, the tip of his tongue touched hers. Slowly, he caressed her mouth with his, showing her just how much he treasured this moment. His hands were at her back, not moving but simply holding her steady, holding her near him. She placed her hands on his upper arms, wanting this moment to last for ever.
His mouth was still exploring hers as though he wanted to take the time to memorise every minute part of her. With the utmost tenderness, he kissed the edge of her mouth on each side, then kissed her cheeks. Rayne was about to open her eyes, to look up at him, when she felt his breath on her face and realised he wanted to commit to memory more than just her mouth. He kissed her eyelids, then her nose, which made her smile.
Opening her eyes, she looked up at him, unable to believe the happiness welling inside her. Had there ever been a time in her life when she’d felt this happy? This secure? This…complete?
Henry kissed her mouth once more, unable to believe just how incredibly beautiful she was, how sweet she tasted and how addicted he’d become in such a short time. Nothing in the world existed except the two of them. He could hear her breathing increasing along with his and was glad both of them were in the same place, enjoying the amazing experience as he dared to deepen the kiss just a little bit more.
She opened her mouth, eager for more, eager to taste and tease him as much as he was doing to her. Feeling her capitulation, Henry wondered if he’d ever be able to stop kissing her. Now that he’d started, he wanted more—a lot more. Her scent was intoxicating.
Forcing himself to keep the pace nice and sedate yet still taking every opportunity of exploring every little part of her luscious lips, he was rewarded by a sighed moan emanating from the woman who was pliant in his arms.
The atmosphere was starting to become more intense, the emotions between the two of them rising, and it was incredibly difficult for Henry to keep control over the situation as he deepened the kiss, bringing her body even closer against his own. He was trying hard not to rush, telling himself not to lose control, but how was he supposed to do that when the woman was everything he’d been searching for? He’d waited for far too long to find someone else he connected with. To find a woman who understood him, who was on his wavelength, who felt the same way he did. Now that he’d found her, he knew in that split second that he couldn’t let her go, and the knowledge rocked him.
What was flowing between them was perfect—the most perfect kiss in the world—and Rayne couldn’t believe how incredibly sensual he made her feel. Even though the intensity had changed, Henry seemed in no rush. He was taking his time, eager to learn the exact contours of her mouth, her face, her entire being, and it made her feel so…cherished. She was special to him. There was no way she could doubt that.
When he broke away to press butterfly kisses across her cheek and round to her ear, Rayne breathed out with a deep, satisfied sigh. There was no way she could stand upright and so took advantage of leaning against him, more than content to let him support her. As he continued to nibble at her neck, she smiled, starting to squirm a little as his lips tickled her some more.
‘Henry.’ His name was a caress on her lips and when she licked her lips, they tasted of him. That in itself was intoxicating enough to raise her heartbeat, which had only just started to settle to a normal rhythm.
‘Mmm,’ he murmured against her neck, and she giggled as his breath fanned her skin, giving her goose-bumps.
‘I’m ticklish there.’
‘Really?’ He pressed two more kisses to her neck then slowly drew back, his passion flaring to life once more when he saw the deep emerald green of her eyes. They were filled with desire, with need and longing.
He wondered what she saw as they continued to look into each other’s eyes. Could she see how necessary she’d become to him? Could she see how he didn’t want to leave Deniliquin if it meant leaving her? Could she see how he’d come to care so deeply for her in such a short time?
‘Ticklish around the neck. I’ll remember that.’
‘Remember?’
‘Yes. For next time.’
‘Next time?’ Rayne’s heart rate picked up again as he caressed her cheek once more.
‘The next time I kiss you. The next time I hold you in my arms. Because I’ll tell you something, my pretty lady, now that the drought has finally broken, it’s going rain for a very long time.’
As he spoke, he leaned forward and took her lips in a firm and promising kiss. He edged back, putting distance between them but still finding it necessary to hold her hands, unable to break all contact.
‘Sweet dreams…and I mean that. They must be very sweet and preferably of me.’
Rayne laughed, loving the way he made her feel. ‘Ditto,’ she said with a nod. It seemed to be enough for him, enough to help him to disengage their hands so that he could leave.
She watched until the lights of his car had disappeared down the street before heading inside. And that night she did exactly as Henry had suggested, but this time she didn’t need to fantasise about what it would be like to kiss him because she knew, and she hugged the knowledge close to her in delight.
On Saturday afternoon Rayne couldn’t believe the way she was fussing in front of the mirror, pulling at her clothes, wondering whether or not she should change into something more formal-casual or casual-formal. Jasmine came in, dressed in a pair of denim jeans, cowboy boots, which Earlene had bought for her, and a navy-blue singlet. Her hair was in pigtails and an Akubra sat atop her head.
‘How do I look?’ she asked Rayne, edging her aside to admire her reflection.
‘Perfect. How do I look?’
Jasmine peeled her gaze away from the mirror to look at Rayne. ‘Why are you wearing a skirt? Should I wear a skirt?’
‘No. You’re right. I need to lose the skirt.’
‘You should go dressed like me!’ Jasmine’s blue eyes were bright with excitement. ‘Mummy and me used to dress the same sometimes. It was really superfun.’
‘Superfun?’
‘Yeah. Go on, Rayne. Please?’ Jasmine was tugging at her hand,
looking up at her with pleading eyes. ‘Please? Please?’
Rayne couldn’t help but smile as she lifted the little girl into her arms and hugged her close. ‘It sounds like an excellent plan to me.’ She kissed her cheek then put her down again. ‘My goodness, you’re getting heavy. Did you grow last night?’
Jasmine giggled as Rayne changed her clothes yet again and when the doorbell rang, Jasmine squealed, ‘He’s here. Henry’s here!’ And raced for the door.
‘My, my, my,’ Rayne heard Henry say as Jasmine opened the door. ‘Don’t you look gorgeous?’
‘Wait till you see Rayne. We’re dressed the same.’
‘Really?’ No sooner had he said the word than he looked up as Rayne came into view. It was true. She was wearing cowboy boots, jeans and the obligatory Deni ute muster navy-blue singlet top. Her arms were bare, the singlet hugging her curves to perfection, and he was having a difficult time trying to stop his eyes from popping out of his head. With her hair plaited like Jasmine’s, she looked even cuter. The only thing missing was her hat. ‘Wow,’ he breathed.
Jasmine walked over to where Rayne stood and struck a pose. ‘Don’t we look gorgeous?’
‘Absolutely.’ Henry couldn’t believe just how much. The moment seemed to last for ever but eventually he cleared his throat and gestured to the door. ‘Your chariot awaits, my ladies.’ He bowed and Jasmine squealed with excitement.
‘We’re going in a chariot?’ She jumped up and down and clapped her hands, then stopped suddenly and looked up at Rayne. ‘What’s a chariot?’
Rayne and Henry laughed, the amazingly intense moment broken as Rayne collected her bag and her hat. She couldn’t believe the way Henry had looked at her. He hadn’t tried to hide the growing attraction he obviously felt. Henry led Jasmine out to the car, explaining what a chariot was and how it was also a figure of speech.
They’d seen him at least once every day this week and both Earlene and Jarvis were as taken with him as everyone else in Deni seemed to be. He was an incredible man and she felt so privileged that he’d come into their lives and enriched them beyond her wildest dreams. And speaking of dreams, they’d been getting wilder and more urgent. That was possibly because Henry would kiss her good night whenever he left and the feel of his mouth against hers, the way her body molded perfectly to his, the overpowering sensations he evoked were what made her feel so…right.
Rayne had to keep reminding herself to continue letting go of her tension, that spending time with Henry was good for her, good for Jasmine, and when Henry left to return to his life in Sydney, then she’d pick up the pieces of her life and get things back on track. For now, though, it was as though they were on vacation.
Once at the muster, with all the dust, heat, flies and people—most of whom were sporting navy-blue sin-glets—they headed for the family amusement section. The weather was scorching, even at this time of the evening, and Rayne was sure the temperature must be somewhere in the high thirties. It was a typical outback event and she loved it.
‘What a night.’ Rayne took off her hat and fanned herself as Jasmine went from one activity to the next, doing some woodcraft, completing a giant jig-saw puzzle and then having her face painted. ‘That paint’s going to melt off her face.’
‘Must be almost one hundred Fahrenheit,’ Henry agreed, as Jasmine came over to ask him to help her walk on a pair of stilts.
Next they fought the flies and went to the patting paddock, Rayne using her cellphone to snap pictures of the extremely happy child. It was perfect. Having Henry with them, joining in the fun, was perfect as well, and for people who had no idea who they were, they looked just like a family. One mother, one father, one very happy five-year-old.
As Rayne smiled up at Henry, for that moment she wanted it to come true.
They stayed at the muster for another hour or so but even though the moon was out, bright and full, the heat wasn’t abating. There was, however, the smell of rain in the air. It had been announced to the masses through loudspeakers and by word of mouth that there was a storm coming and for people to pack away any unnecessary items and prepare wet-weather gear.
‘I hope the concert doesn’t get rained out,’ Henry said as they headed back to his car, Jasmine on his shoulders.
Rayne looked at the cloudless sky. ‘Looks as though it’ll hold for a few more hours at least. I, on the other hand, need to get one very tired girl home, wash her face and get her into bed because I don’t think she’ll last much longer. It’s been one very busy week.’
Jasmine wasn’t about to argue, yawning widely as Henry lifted her down from his shoulders and helped her into the car. When they arrived back at Rayne’s house, Henry walked them to the door.
‘I’ll leave you to it,’ he said, looking down at her lips, his gaze lingering on them for a moment then meeting her eyes once more.
Rayne welcomed the tingles, the pounding of her heart in her chest, the way she wanted to feel his arms about her, crushing her body to his as their lips became intimately acquainted again and again.
Henry saw her desire, as potent and as real as his own. Leaning forward, he kissed her lips with such sweet softness she almost melted. He could hear Jasmine starting to whinge a little in the background and knew now wasn’t the time.
‘Rayne.’ He brushed the back of his hand across her cheek as he looked down into her eyes. ‘We need to talk, and soon.’
‘I know.’ She placed a finger on his lips and he kissed it. ‘We’ll talk.’
Jasmine started to cry from tiredness and Rayne smiled up at Henry. ‘I’d better—’
‘Go.’ He nodded. ‘I’ll call you later.’
‘OK. Are you going to go back to the muster? Earlene and Jarvis are still there and it’s not as though you haven’t made any other friends since you’ve been in town. You should go. Enjoy it. It’s something not to be missed.’
Henry didn’t want to be anywhere she wasn’t but he shrugged. ‘I’ll think about it. Go. Deal with Jazzy.’
‘OK,’ she repeated, and, smiling up at him, she leaned up and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. ‘See you tomorrow. I’ll go deal with my tired five-year-old, who still has a large butterfly painted on her face.’
He nodded and kissed her again. It was as though neither of them wanted to part. That was a good thing, right? Rayne promised herself time to think about it once Jasmine was settled for the night.
‘Finally,’ Rayne muttered as she sat down on the lounge and picked up a soothing cup of tea. Jasmine was bathed and asleep and Rayne could put her feet up and think. The first thought that came to mind was Henry.
He seemed to be on her mind a lot. When she wasn’t with him, she was thinking about him. When she was with him, she couldn’t think of anything else. He was starting to cloud her ability to think logically, and she wasn’t at all comfortable with that.
Rayne thought back to when Janey had first met Jarrod and the discussions they’d had.
‘But how do you know this is the real thing?’ Rayne had asked as the two of them had sat around in Janey’s room, painting their nails.
‘Because I feel it.’
‘But how do you know?’
‘I don’t know.’ Janey had laughed. ‘I just do. Jarrod is…’ She’d sighed. ‘Jarrod is everything. I want to tell him my deepest, darkest secrets. I want him to be there for every little event in my life, whether that’s buying a new pair of shoes…’
Rayne had rolled her eyes at this. ‘You already have every pair of shoes known to man.’
‘Shh. Don’t interrupt. From buying a new pair of shoes and the excitement it brings me,’ she’d continued, ‘to the moment I find out whether I got that new promotion at work. The highs and the lows, the bigs and the smalls. I want him to be there with me for all of them. I want to share them with him. I want to see him every day and I want to be just as important in his life as he is in mine.’
‘And is that how he feels?’ Rayne had been highly sceptical but Janey had unde
rstood her friend completely.
‘Yes. Amazingly, it is, and I think that’s how you know. If he’s as into you as you are into him. When he can’t bear to spend a day without seeing you, without calling you.’
‘Is that why the two of you spend hours on the phone?’
‘Yes. We can spend all day together and then he still calls me at night, simply because he misses me. That is, I guess, how you know, Rayne. When you can’t stop thinking about him, when you have news and he’s the first person you want to tell. When you get all tingly when he looks at you and you lose yourself in his eyes.’ Janey sighed, put down the bright orange nail polish she’d been applying to her toes and turned to look at Rayne. ‘I know where you’re coming from, honey, and you can’t judge any relationship you might eventually have on how your mum behaved with her multitude of boyfriends. I know it has scared you away from commitment but there will come a day when you’ll find Mr Right. I just know it.’
Rayne shook her head, not so sure at all. ‘Mum would swear blind each time that it was different. With Greg, she’d say she was searching for security. With Brad, she’d say it was fun she needed. With William, she said it was knowledge. With every guy, she’d look for something else, something which she thought was missing from her life, so why didn’t she ever find what she was looking for? She never found happiness, that I’m certain of. I do think she reached a certain level of contentment near the end, but by then it was all too late.’
‘True love is out there, Rayne. It does happen. It does exist. My parents are proof of that, and Jarrod and I will be the same. We’ll be together for ever.’
When the phone shrilled to life, Rayne jumped out of her chair and quickly snatched up the receiver, sniffing. Until that moment she hadn’t realised tears had started sliding down her cheeks and she wiped them away as she answered the call.
‘Rayne?’
‘Henry.’ She sniffed again.
‘Are you all right? Do you want me to come round?’
She smiled at his words. ‘I’m all right. I was just thinking about Janey.’ She held the receiver away as she blew her nose. ‘There. Much better now. So, to what do I owe the pleasure of this call?’
